Timeless Love
by Mrs. Fahrenheit
Summary: Hermione feels out of place with Harry and Ron. When she catches her boyfriend doing something he shouldn't, it's the last straw. Join Hermione in her travels back in time and her adventures there. Rated 'M' for safety in later chapters. By Bridgette.
1. Insecurities

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. I own the plot. I don't own anything you recognize. Bridgette.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were nearly falling off their chairs as they laughed at something Remus Lupin said about one of James' many 'brilliant' plans to catch Lily's attention. Hermione smiled as she watched them, sitting on the sidelines of the conversation. She sat on the sidelines because she didn't feel as though she belonged, as Ron had reminded her on many occasions. In fact, her situation seemed quite obvious to everyone but Harry.

Harry. He was always so kind to her, always there for her. All he did anymore was make sure she felt at home, completely oblivious to the fact that Ron's apparent mission was to do the exact opposite. He was the sweetest, most caring person she had ever met. But she still wasn't as relevant to him as Ron was. She just didn't measure up.

Ron. Sure, his sarcastic comments about her love of homework didn't always come off as sarcastic. Sometimes they hit to close to home for comfort, but he truly appreciated it when she helped him with his homework. The constant rows and arguments kept life interesting, too. Not that they'd needed it with Lupin for at teacher.

Remus. A former teacher and current shoulder to cry on. Ever since she had discovered the whole werewolf issue in third year, he'd been there for her whenever she needed to confess something and couldn't tell Harry or Ron. He was so hard to shock that his expression didn't even flicker when she announced something outrageous. Like her crush on Ron in fourth year. Or that time when she'd fancied Terry Boot back in fifth. Not even when she confessed that she was totally and completely in love with Harry, despite her current position as someone else's girlfriend.

"Hey, Hermione!" Ginny called from across the room where Fred and George were testing Puking Pastilles on Mrs. Weasley's chicken. Don't ever eat chicken here, Hermione thought ruefully.

"Yes, Ginny." She answered. Ginny was nearly bursting from her skin, despite Hermione's sullen attitude. Ginny came rushing over, looking ecstatic.

"Doesn't Harry look ravishing?" The younger girl giggled. Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course he did. He was Harry. It was natural for him to look ravishing.

"Yes, Ginny." She repeated in a bored tone. Ginny didn't seem to notice Hermione's lack of gossip enthusiasm and kept up a steady stream of Harry-Is-Perfect-isms.

_Oh, Merlin, get me out of here!_

OoOoO

Click. Hermione looked up from her copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ to see Harry's head poking tentatively through the crack of her door. She smiled. If anyone could get her out of this blob of self-pity, it was Harry.

"Hey, you." She called softly, so as to not wake the sleeping Ginny across her room. Harry jumped at the sound of her voice. Realizing who was speaking, he smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth barely crinkling in the faint dawn light.

Hermione closed her eyes and listened to the faint sound of feet padding across carpet towards her bed. The footsteps stopped to the left of her head and she felt the warm cocoon of quilts and comforters being lifted. The mattress creaked beside her and sunk down under weight. What pressed against her side was even warmer than her cocoon. It was Harry.

"Hi. I thought you'd be asleep." He said softly, the hair that hung from his head tickling her nose as he lay over her.

" Yeah? And what did you plan on doing with a room full of sleeping girls, you little creep?" She teased quietly as she looked up into his sparkling green eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her un-Hermione-like remark.

"I watch you sleep. It's very calming, you know, after one of those nightmares I get. I listen to you breathing. Sometimes I come just to make sure you're still alive. You wouldn't believe how many dreams I've had about Voldemort forcing me to kill you. Those are the worst." He whispered, pressing his lips to hers in a friendly kiss. Oh, how she wished she could pull him down onto her and snog him like she wanted to.

I'm still here. I always will be, Harry." Hermione breathed, losing control of her longing for him. She had to do something to regain control and she had to do it fast. She probed her mind for any subject that didn't involve Harry ravaging her senseless. "But it's a bit odd that you watch me sleep. You don't crawl into bed with me then, do you?"

"What? Merlin, no! You don't seriously think I'd…I'd…_do_ something to you, right? 'Cause I respect you." Harry spluttered. Judging by the red-faced look of determination to keep from blushing, he had thought about it.

"Harry." She laughed softly. He turned his head ever so slightly to give her a sidelong glance, but there was no way he would look completely at her until the heat had left his face fully.

"Um...yeah?" He replied nervously.

"I was kidding."

"Oh. Right. Yeah."

"You come in here after those dreams. What happened tonight?" Hermione asked, suddenly serious and rather worried for her best friend. Now that the topic was off his creepy nighttime peeps at Hermione, Harry turned to look at her.

"I haven't been to sleep yet." Harry answered in a soft, tender voice. The warmness of his tone surprised Hermione, but made her stomach flutter nonetheless.

"Why? You know you need sleep!" She scolded him like a mother would her five year old who had been caught stealing cookies before dinner. He smiled, loving how she chastised him, making him feel like he had a family. He found it quite comforting to have a 'mother' that went everywhere with him.

"That's rich, coming from you. Need I remind you that you were reading again when I came in?" He teased as he twisted a long strand of her perfect curls around his calloused index finger. He toyed with it a moment, sliding his thumb over the smooth shininess of golden brown silk before speaking again, loving how he could make her blush. "I'm worried about you."

"Oh." Was all she could say. Did Harry know her so well that he could read he feelings and insecurities? It was that way for her with him. If Harry was scared, she always knew, even if he didn't let it show.

"Yeah, 'oh'. You belong here, Hermione. We love you; need you. Ron appreciates you more than he might let on, you know. And Ginny considers you to be her best friend. Fred and George think you could be brilliant at pranking if you let loose some of the rules, let them be guidelines instead of requirements. Percy had a crush on you last year. Gross, I know. Charlie reckons your good for Ron. Can't argue that; he's a right git sometimes. Bill, well, Bill would most likely marry you if he weren't engaged to Fleur. You should hear that bloke talk about how wonderful you are. Molly and Arthur care about you just like you were their own daughter." Harry told her sternly. She held an uncertain half-smile on her face as if expecting him to go on. When he didn't, her nearly happy look vanished to be replaced with a slightly cold one.

"Goodnight. Thank you, but I don't need an update on what the Weasleys think of me." She said in a low hiss. She stared at him coldly for a moment before flopping over on her side and facing away from him. When she had met his gaze, he could have sworn there was a flicker of hurt.

Harry slid onto his hands and knees, proceeding to crawl over her and take her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

"You didn't honestly think I'd leave myself out of that, did you?" He smiled. "I might love you as much as all the rest put together. You're everything to me. A family, a friend, a teacher, a lifesaver, and even something as simple as something pretty to look at after a horrible day. You taught me to feel, Hermione. To live, to love. I owe you my soul for that."

Tears rolled down Hermione's face as Harry's sweet words hit her ears like music. He looked panicked for a moment before she grabbed him in a hug.

"I think you're wrong about the others, Harry. They only see my usefulness, how much I can help them. You might be grateful for me, but they aren't. For them, I'm intellectual gain." She sobbed into his chest, releasing months of pain and pent up sorrow. He simply lay there, sliding his fingers through her hair comfortingly.

Harry let her cry, glancing every so often at Ginny to be sure she was still asleep, until her sobs softened to the occasional hiccough and sniffle. He slid from the bed, untangling his limbs from where they were wrapped happily around hers, and leaned down to press a comforting kiss to her lips.

"I'm not grateful for you. I pray to God every night that you'll still be here in the morning. Being grateful is like taking something for granted. I know you have the choice of walking away at any second you decide. I know you might be gone when I wake up and that scares the shit out of me."

And with that, he left her to slip into a soft, reassured slumber.


	2. Seeing Double

Disclaimer : I only own the plot. No characters so far. Except the girl, but I'd rather not take credit for her. Sniff, sniff.

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Cold.

Everything was cold. Sure, it was January, but Hermione was wearing a hat, mits, and a parka. No, she was cold because of what she saw in front of her. Her insides were ice as she met the other girl's eyes. A girl Harry had brought home one night a few weeks ago.

"No!" She whispered in horror. "No, no, no!"

Her small noise caused the girl to surface from her thorough examination on Lee Jordan's mouth. The seventh year whipped around when the girl looked pointedly over his shoulder. His jaw dropped in shock before he realized what he was doing, then his face turned apprehensive.

"Hermione, Love, what a surprise!" Lee's voice was forcibly overjoyed and enthusiastic.

"I can see that. Weren't expecting your girlfriend today, so you thought you could sneak a nice snog with someone else?" Hermoione's voice took on a rare, vicious tone usually reserved for Malfoy. Lee stepped back in surprise, fear flickering through his eyes as he saw the anger slicing in hers.

Hermione's gaze shot to the wretched girl standing smugly behind Lee. "May we have a moment? I need to talk to my lovely boyfriend."

The girl looked terrified at being addressed by an angry Hermione Granger. People seemed to remember the damage she had done to Bellatrix Lestrange for using the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. Let's just say Bella would no longer be a problem. The girl ran from the room faster than a firebolt. Lee looked at her as though she was his only life line.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure she'll come back." Hermione hissed with anger. Lee gulped and jumped as though he had been caught in the act. Wait. He had.

"Hermione, cupcake, you know I would never hurt you. You mean the world to me." He pleaded, finding his voice at last. Hermione glared at him in disbelief.

"I think that excuse flew out the window when I caught you feeling up another girl." She told him, voice still low with fury. Lee seemed to gather his courage, putting on an indignant face.

"Well, it's not lik you haven't been sneaking around with Potter and Weasley. I wouldn't be surprised if you three have a triangle going on." He retorted, trying and succeeding to hit a nerve.

SLAP!

Hermione hit him hard across the face, leaving an angry red hand print on his soft brown cheek. It was one of her more impressive slaps, leaving the outline of her hand on his cheek like a stamp.

"Don't you ever talk about Harry and Ron like that! In case you've forgotten, they've both saved you life before! They have done nothing to deserve your insults!" She shouted. Suddenly, the realization that her boyfriend of nearly six months had cheated on her sunk in. Tears rimmed her eyelids and Lee moved in to comfort her. She fell into his arms and cried her heart out.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." He murmured, feeling her sadness in his own heart. He really did love her.

"You told me you loved me." She whimpered softly, Lee's heart broke right alongside hers. "And I actually believed you."

OoOoO

Hermione slammed open the door of the Burrow and looked around wildly. Everyone was at the table eating dinner and when they heard the door open, they all looked to her, noise and movement ceasing immediately when they saw the look on Hermione's face.

"What?" She snapped angrily. The shocked looks on everyone's faces was just too much. She dropped her bag with a soft _thump_ and began to cry again. Harry stood instantly and held her in his arms.

"What happened, 'Mione?" He whispered shivering with the grief he felt coming from her. She buried her head in his chest and he held it there.

"Lee's not…that girl you brought home…I yelled…slapped him…I bloody loved him, Harry!" She yelled into the soft fabric of his robes. "I loved him and her ruined everything!"

"Hermione, it's alright. Let's get you to bed." Harry made soft hushing noises into her hair, but it did no good.

"No! I want everyone to know what a jerk Lee Jordan is!" Hermione ripped herself from Harry's grasp and rounded on the twins. "Do you know what a horrible idea getting us together was? Do you?"

"Well, Hermione, I' sure he didn't _mean_ to break up with you. He was just havin one of those moments." Fred said nervously. George nodded vigorously, backing up his brother.

"Lee did _not _break up with me! No, he didn't bother with that! He figured if I saw him snogging another girl, I'd get the picture!" She shouted hysterically. Fred and George's eyes darkened with anger. Didn't look as though Lee had twins for best friends anymore.

"Hermione." Harry said softly, picking her up bridal style. He carried her to her room, laying her softly on her bed before wrapping his arms around her shaking body.

"Harry, I can't stay. I need to get away from here. I don't know how far or how long, but I need to go." She said wearily into her pillow. "I need time to forget."

Time. Time, that's it! It's _brilliant_! She just needed a little more Time. Say, twenty years?

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A/N: Hey readers, sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy, starting high school and all. Next Chapter might (might) come faster.

Review Responses:

Angelic Bladez: Thanks! I just love Remus/Hermione fics. To answer you question, Harry doesn't realize he loves Hermione…yet. He was glancing at Ginny to make sure she didn't wake up because Ginny still loves him, but he doesn't love her. In this fic, Harry's a bit of a player. Sorry for being so confusing! Hope this chapter's better.

monnbeam: Thanks for the positive review. Harry gets hurt emotionally, later on. He get's over it, though.

mrs.r.bloom: Updating now! Sorry it was so delayed!

A/N2: Keep up with the reviews, good or bad! I need to know what needs fixing!

Bridgette

Blue Dazzles


	3. Twenty Years Ago

Chapter 3

20 Years Ago

"Harry, Ron. I guess I'll see you guys later," Hermione's voice was clipped, formal almost, with her sadness at leaving 'her boys' behind. Well, it had to be done. "You do know enough not to follow me, right? You'll never be able to."

Harry nodded listlessly. Closing down emotional attachments was his way of being sad. She couldn't blame him for not begging her to stay. He gave up when things went wrong now. Too many things had gone wrong for him. "How long will you be gone?"

"Oh, er, a couple of weeks, I expect," Hermione stumbled, trying to hide the truth. Would the rest of her life be like this? Lies and hurriedly spun tales of her past or future? Harry and Ron looked appalled.

"Holidays end in a couple of days! You'll miss classes!" Ron exclaimed, sputtering unintelligently. Hermione smiled sadly. The truth was, she wasn't coming home. Not to this home. Possibly to a different one, in a different stage of her life.

"I realize that. Listen, Harry. I've left a letter on your desk explaining everything. If I'm not back in a month, read it," Hermione said, brushing Harry's abnormally messy hair – even for Harry – out of his eyes lovingly. She picked up her bag and looked at them both. "I'll know if you read it before then. Goodbye, boys."

She walked out of the Burrow's front door, into the lightly falling snow of the early January winter. It covered the trees gently, giving them a lovely magical look. Not to say they weren't already magical. One boot print was made in the snow by her feet before she was whipped around by the arm to come face-to-face with a terrified-looking Harry Potter.

"You'll be back. You promised me you would always be here," he whispered, his deep voice panicked. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she looked away. His hands brought her face back up to look at him. She saw the line of worry between his eyebrows, the slight frown that graced his perfect lips. Those green eyes that she loved so much were tearing holes in her heart with the lost look they held. "Please, Hermione!"

"Yes, Harry. I'll be back," she murmured back, pressing her face into his chest while she hugged him. She breathed in his completely Harry Potter smell and scrunched her face tightly. She'd never hug him again…she'd never see his face…

She was lying to him. It felt awful.

He could tell.

"I'll find you again. I won't stop until I do. To hell with Voldemort, with school, with anything. You're more important than world peace to me, Hermione."

"Goodbye, Harry," she whispered.

With a swirl of her cloak and the disturbing of some dirt, she disappeared into the darkness.

OoOoO

The Leaky Cauldron was deserted. After the Death Eaters had attacked it last month, not a soul had been near it. Diagon Alley was at it's all time highest poverty rating. The entirety of the city had been all but evacuated, save a few pitiable souls who had staked out refused to leave their homes. For Hermione, this was good news. There would be no interruption as she traveled through time.

In one moment of weakness, she found her eyes blurring and her lip quivering. She was leaving this. Sure, it was a disaster. Sure, it was chaos. Sure, it was just one tragedy after the next. But it was her home. It was a fight that she had vowed to stick by Harry for and here she was abandoning it when the going got tough.

Some Gryffindor she was.

Hermione shook her head as if she could shake away her thoughts with it. She set all the things she wished to take with her back in time on the floor in a circle around her. Sitting Indian style on the floor, she pulled out a piece of parchment proclaiming the spell she had so carefully crafted and took hold of her wand. Finally, all was ready.

_Atsūtiet man atpakaļ divdesmit gadiem, un vieta, kur man nav asaras._

Hermione felt the wind swirling around her. It wasn't like the feeling of slight dizziness that had plagued her when she used the Time Turner in fourth year. It was more like what she imagined Harry felt when he flew his Firebolt at its highest speed. The wind rushed through her hair; she could feel the sun on her face, though she didn't know why; a joy rose inside of her until she almost couldn't bear it any longer…

And then it stopped.

Looking around, Hermione blinked in surprise. It was quite amazing, really, how much a motel room could change in just twenty years. Hermione remembered The Leaky Cauldron rooms to be tattered, dusty, and smelling of moldy Grindylow dung. Now that was not the case. The wooden floors shone with good health and hard-rubbed lemon polishing. The pink and slightly moth-eaten drapes from Hermione's age were a dark raspberry colour and billowed slightly from the breeze flowing through the sparkling windows that – oh, how wonderful! – actually _opened_.

Every surface in the room glowed with good care and cleanliness. The bed no longer had pilly grey cotton sheets, but creamy satin ones with a matching feather duvet and pillows. In a word, it was beautiful.

"Oh," Hermione breathed. She looked down at her belongings and laughed out loud as the bizarreness of the situation hit her, as well as the dangerousness. How lucky was she to have landed herself in a room that was not rented? She could have kicked herself for her stupidity and giggled gleefully at her luck. Instead, she listened to the hustle and bustle coming from the halls that had been long forgotten in her time.

"Oi, Prongs! I booked 319 through 322 for us! Take the usual," a male voice called. Hermione jumped as she heard someone shout from just outside her door. But that wasn't what made her blood run cold.

_Prongs?_

James Potter. Harry's father was standing just outside of this very room, planning to walk right into it – and her.

Without any warning, a…dear lord…a _gorgeous_ boy of about sixteen flung open Hermione's door. He looked at her for a moment in confusion before bursting into hysterics.

"James, Tom's finally got me figured out!" The boy shouted to his mates down the hall. "He's put a girl in my room!"

Three boys came traipsing down the hall, dragging trunks and owl cages, to peer over the boy's shoulder and take a look at her on the floor.

"What's she doing down there?" The small, mousy boy asked in confusion. Hermione glared disgustedly; this could only be Peter Pettigrew.

"I reckon she fell down in awe when she saw me," the original boy said arrogantly. He had familiar grey eyes and a very trademark lopsided grin. Hermione knew exactly who this person was: Sirius Black, in the flesh.

Hermione stood up and made her way over to the boys, painfully aware of all their eyes on her, and opened the door all the way with a gesture that invited them into the room. They all piled in and flopped on various pieces of furniture. James (she guessed) on the chair, Pettigrew on the desk, and Sirius on the bed as if he belonged on it more than he belonged anywhere else. Looking at him, Hermione couldn't doubt that he'd been on many girls' beds.

"Well, hello, then," Hermione said. All three boys were lounging about, with the exception of Remus, Hermione suspected, who was standing awkwardly in the entryway. He was looking down at all of his friends disdainfully.

"You do realize how rude you're being, don't you?" He asked them pointedly. Sirius looked at him as if to say, 'duh, it's in my nature'. James scooted forward in the chair far enough to make a lame swat at Sirius' head and Pettigrew simply blushed.

"Oy, I don't believe we've been introduced!" James said in his most suave voice, which was really not-so-suave. Sirius looked at him disappointedly.

"I know who you are," Hermione said easily, forgetting where – or perhaps _when_ – she was. They all stared at her as if she needed to be committed to St. Mungo's Ward 6. "You're James Potter, completely and impossibly in love with Lily Evans. You're Peter Pettigrew, world's biggest prick. You're Sirius Black…enough said."

Sirius attempted an indignant look, but the Marauders all turned to him with expressions that showed just how right they thought Hermione was.

"How 'bout him?" James asked, pointing at Remus, trying to conceal how impressed and unnerved he was by Hermione. She turned her attention to the handsome werewolf still standing in the doorway. Oh, God, she missed Professor Lupin.

"Remus Lupin, the only student in over a century to get more OWLs than I did," Hermione whispered. She threw her arms around Remus, realizing belatedly that he had no idea who she was. She withdrew her arms and smiled weakly. "Sorry."

"Quite alright," Remus said shyly, ignoring the 'woo's of his friends. "So, who are you?"

Hermione looked at him and his fellow Marauders, not quite sure how to respond to that question. Who was she? Well, to everyone in this decade, she was no one.

A sudden thought popped into her head. She'd taken a course on inadvertent Divination in the summer of fourth year, much to everyone's surprise. What had she learned?

Why, that most people knew things about their futures from the simple act of dreaming, of course!

She smiled slyly at all four boys.

"Guess."


End file.
